Men's Soccer Topple No. 1 Washington
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
September 29, 1998
INSTON-SALEM, N.C.--The Wake Forest men's soccer team pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the year last weekend, knocking off top-ranked and previously undefeated Washington, 2-1, in UW's own Nike-Husky Classic in Seattle, WA. The win propelled the Deacs to No. 18 in the latest Soccer News poll (though they remained unranked in both the NSCAA and Soccer America polls) and gave WFU a 1-0-1 record against teams ranked in the top five this year. Wake will now look to shake off the jet lag and focus on its next opponent, Davidson, who surprised the Deacs with a 1-0 upset in Winston-Salem last year. Game time is Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 pm in Davidson, NC.
LAST WEEK'S WRAP-UP
Wake Forest rallied from a 3-0 loss to Portland on Friday night to defeat No. 1 ranked Washington, 2-1, on Sunday at the Nike-Husky Classic held at UW in Seattle, WA. WFU finished as the tournament's runner-up, while Portland took home the team trophy. On Friday, the Deacs struggled to find the net, outshooting Portland 13-10 but coming up empty in the goals column. Chris Brown, the tournament's eventual MVP, scored the Pilots' first two goals and assisted on the third to lift UP to the win. On Sunday, the Deacs held off a late offensive surge by Washington to earn a 2-1 victory over the top-ranked Huskies. Wake jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. Senior midfielder Serge Daniv (Lviv, Ukraine) attacked the net, forcing the UW keeper to charge the ball. Daniv then dished off to freshman midfielder Jamal Seale (Overland Park, KS), who punched in his fifth goal of the season at 14:06. Less than 11 minutes later, freshman middie Chris Lonteen (Rolling Meadows, IL) headed in a corner from senior midfielder Kyle Bachmeier (Winston-Salem, NC) at 24:54 to put Wake up 2-0. The Huskies responded with a goal less than six minutes before halftime, but a strong Deacon defense held off several late-game attacks. Junior netminder Sean Conner (Georgetown, TX) made four saves in goal for WFU. Bachmeier, Daniv, and junior defender Chad Evans (LaPlata, MD) all earned All-Tournament honors.
SCOUTING DAVIDSON
The Wildcats have struggled in the early 1998 season, posting a 1-9 record heading into Wednesday night's game with UNC Greensboro. Their only win came in a 2-3 overtime decision vs. Liberty on Sept. 16th. The 'Cats defense has given up an average of 2.61 goals per game, while the offense has produced less that a goal per match (0.97). DC's leading scorer through 10 games is sophomore midfielder David Buehler (4g, 2a).
FRESHMAN MIDDIES STEPPING INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
Freshmen midfielders Jamal Seale and Chris Lonteen have stepped up with some impressive outings in the early season and rank as the Deacs' top two leading overall scorers thus far. Seale, who starts on the left flank, has exhibited explosive speed and a nice scoring touch. In his first week as a collegian, he tallied three goals and two assists in the Nike-Wake Forest Classic, leading WFU to the title and earning Tournament MVP, ACC Co-Player of the Week, and Soccer America Team of the Week honors. He also scored the Deacs' first goal in their 2-1 upset of No. 1 Washington on Sunday. Seale currently leads the team in scoring with 12 points (5g, 2a). Lonteen has started seven games on the right midfield flank and has stepped up with some big plays in big games. He scored both goals in Wake's 2-2 tie with fourth-ranked Virginia, then netted the game-winner in the win over top-ranked Washington. Lonteen has seven points on the year (3g, 1a).
EVANS LEADS AN IMPRESSIVE BACKFIELD TRIO
The Deacs returned almost all of a defensive unit which posted eight shutouts and held opponents to just over a goal per game last year. The backfield, led by junior marking back and team co-captain Chad Evans, looks to be even stronger this fall. A second-team All-ACC and third-team All-South Region pick last year, Evans has taken his game to a new level and looks to be an early contender for All-America honors. He has tallied a goal and an assist already this year and earned All-Tournament honors twice. Joining Evans in the backfield are two equally impressive defenders in junior marking back David Kaweesi-Mukooza (Williamsville, NY) and sophomore sweeper Brock Hilpert (Durham, NC). Kaweesi-Mukooza, who started in the midfield last season, has made a remarkably smooth transition to marking back and has contributed three critical saves off the line this fall. And Hilpert, known as "the rock" to his teammates for his smart, consistent play, has continued to blossom into one of the conference's top sweepers in just his sophomore year.
CONNER RANKS AMONG TOP ALL-TIME KEEPERS AT WFU
Should a ball get past this impressive backfield, Wake has the luxury of one of the top goalkeepers in the region in junior Sean Conner. In his first year as a starter last fall, Conner was outstanding, leading the ACC in solo shutouts (7) and ranking second in save percentage (.805). He has continued his strong play in the '98 season, posting two solo shutouts thus far. In fact, Conner already ranks among the top three netminders all-time at WFU, ranking second on the all-time GAA list with a career average of 1.10 and third in career save percentage at .793. A former field player, Conner excels in reading the game quickly and preventing problems before they arise.
BACHMEIER ANCHORS THE MIDFIELD
The Deacs continue to rely on senior Kyle Bachmeier as their midfield anchor and top offensive playmaker. A four-year starter, Bachmeier led the team in assists last season with nine. With 18 career set-ups, he ranks fourth on the WFU career assist list and needs seven to break the all-time record (24 by Mark Erwin 1980-83). A smart player with exceptional distribution skills, Bachmeier spent the offseason playing with the nation's top collegiate players in the adidas summer league.
DEACS WELCOME DANIV AND LIND BACK TO THE LINEUP IN '98
The Deacons have benefitted from the return of two talented veterans to the lineup after a year's absence. Senior midfielder Serge Daniv, a third-team All-American in 1996, is back after a serious knee injury sidelined him for over a year. Daniv has seen significant action in the Deacs' first eight games, netting a goal vs. St. Bonnie's and an assist vs. No. 1 Washington. Also returning is the versatile Trent Lind (Ormond Beach, FL), who led the Deacs in scoring as a freshman in 1995 and played marking back in 1996. Lind has played extensively at both midfield and forward this fall, starting five matches, and he also tallied a goal vs. St. Bonaventure.
TRANSFER KRAUSS MAKES SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM FOOTBALL TO SOCCER
Another newcomer who has had an immediate impact is junior transfer Greg Krauss (Clearwater, FL), who is in his first season of collegiate soccer after two years as a placekicker for the football team at Ohio University. An outstanding youth soccer player, Krauss continued to play club soccer while at OU, leading his Clearwater team to the U-19 National title in 1997 and earning tournament MVP honors. Krauss has started all eight games at forward for the Deacs and provided a needed offensive spark, leading the team in shots with 30 and scoring two goals in the win over Radford.
IN THE ACC RANKINGS
Sean Conner - 4th in GAA (1.19); 3rd in saves (3.25 spg); Jamal Seale - 6th in points (1.50 ppg); 6th in goals (0.50 gpg); TEAM - 6th in offense (2.00 gpg); 4th in defense (1.19 GAA).
HONORS AND ACCOLADES
Kyle Bachmeier - Nike-Husky Classic All-Tournament Team, 9/27; Serge Daniv - Nike-Husky Classic All-Tournament Team, 9/27; Chad Evans - Nike-WFU Classic All-Tournament Team, 9/6; Nike-Husky Classic All-Tournament Team, 9/27; Brock Hilpert - Nike-WFU Classic All-Tournament Team, 9/6; David Kaweesi-Mukooza - Nike-WFU Classic, All-Tournament Team, 9/6; Jamal Seale - Nike-WFU Classic Tournament MVP, 9/6; ACC Co-Player of the Week, 9/7; Soccer America Team of the Week, 9/8.
WAKE FOREST TO HOST 1998 ACC MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
Wake Forest will serve as the host of the 1998 ACC Men's Soccer Championships, held November 12, 13, and 15 at W. Dennie Spry Stadium. Three quarterfinals will be played Thursday, two semifinals Friday, and the title game Sunday. Sunday's game will be televised live on Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and Sunshine Networks. For ticket information, call 1-888-758-DEAC.